Dragons In The Mountains
by Aurora Morgen
Summary: A family in the mountains finds four dragon eggs, but the king wants them dead. Not written based on anything other than my imagination.


Deep in the heart of the forest of the planet Mons laid a cave. In this cave a dragon hid with her eggs. This dragon was of a smaller variety. Not the huge kind with legs the size of large buildings. As she nudged the eggs with her nose she heard something in the distance. She ignored it until she heard the noise getting louder. It sounded like an angry mob. Quickly she picked up her eggs and left the cave. She looked left and right and sniffed the air with a very sensitive nose. She then took off at a fast run towards the mountains.

About a half a jet of flame away from the mountain (half a mile) she slowed and walked off to the right towards a tree. In one fluid move she looked up, spread her wings and leapt straight into the air. She hovered long enough to place the eggs gently in the nest and give them a long loving look. Then she turned and raced back to her cave. She didn't want to be found anywhere near the eggs.

As she was flying she noticed the mob wasn't shouting any more. When she landed the villagers rushed out at her with swords and pitchforks and torches. She was so startled that she didn't fight back. She just let out a roar of anguish and collapsed.

"What on Mons was that, Richard?" cried a woman sewing a hole in her son's tunic.

"I haven't the slightest idea, Mary," replied Richard. Just then two children rushed into the room.

"Did you hear that, Daddy? It's a dragon!" exclaimed the girl.

"Maggy, dragons have not been seen on this planet for years!" scolded Richard.

"But, Dad, what if there really is a dragon out there?" said the boy.

"Come now, Steve, don't encourage her! You know there are no more–"

"Well what else could have made that noise, Richard?" interrupted Mary.

"I don't know! A…a…I don't know! Don't worry about it! Steve, it's your turn to hunt."

"Okay, Dad." Steve grabbed his bow and quiver and walked out the front door. It was a beautiful, sunny, summer, morning. The birds were chirping, the bees buzzing. All was peaceful. Steve began his descent from the mountain. It did not take long, because he went down the mountain every other day, and had greater agility than those from the village that farmed all day. As soon as he left the base of the mountain he drew an arrow and slowly entered the forest.

The forest was bright and grassy, and the edge was lined with blossoms. As he walked he saw birds, and rabbits, and chipmunks. Further on he saw a deer. He pulled his arrow tight and _TWANG._ A perfect shot! He walked forward to collect his deer when he heard a dull _FOOM, FOOM_. He looked for the source and then _FOOM._ He saw it as he looked up to see an eagle pushing a forth one out of her nest. _FOOM_. He walked over to the tree and saw four, large, colorful eggs.

"Neat! Breakfast!" He picked up the eggs, and put them in a pouch. Then he turned towards his deer.

"Hey! Where's my deer?"Steve cursed and turned towards the mountains. He clambered up the hill muttering under his breath, until he reached his house and walked inside.

"Hi, Dad," Steve said nervously.

"Hello, Steve. Where is the deer?" asked Richard.

"Uhhh. Well. I think another animal may have taken it, but I still got food!" Steve set the bag on the table. His dad opened it and took out the eggs one by one.

"Four, big, weird eggs. I don't know. These don't look too good," Richard said. Just then, Maggy ran into the room.

"Dragon eggs! Yey!!!"

"No they're not dragon eggs! They're food," argued Steve.

"No! We can't eat these!" she gasped, "They're going to hatch!" She picked the eggs up and ran into her room. Steve started after her but his dad said,

"No, leave her be. You better go out and get something Maggy won't call a dragon!"

"Alright." So Steve went out again.

Maggy sat in her room and arranged the eggs on her bed so that she could see them all.

"Hmm. This blue one feels cold, but the rest feel warm. I think the blue one needs to go to the icebox." She picked up the blue egg and ran into the kitchen. She dragged out the icebox and put the egg inside.

"This egg needs to be kept cold, Daddy," she said.

"What about the rest of them?" he asked.

"They need warmth. Where should I put them? I know! The fireplace!" So she ran back to her room, grabbed the eggs, ran into the living room, and carefully put the eggs into the fireplace.

"First the red one, then the black one, then the purply-yellow one. There that's much better…" She continued to talk to the eggs in the fire. Just then, Steve walked in with a deer, and a rabbit. He set them on the table and went to the icebox. He dragged it out to get a carrot and noticed they were freezer burnt.

"Hey, Dad, what's wrong with the icebox? These weren't frozen this morning," Steve complained. Then a blue lizard jumped out at him. He screamed and ran into the living room. The lizard was still on his back. Maggy reached up and took it off. She saw wings on him and said,

"Look the blue dragon hatched!"

"It's not a drag…" Steve started. Then he saw the wings too. Maggy suddenly pointed towards the fire. The black and red eggs were wiggling. Then _CRACK, CRACK_. The red and black eggs broke, and the two black dragons jumped out of the fire. But the "purply-yellow" dragon wasn't wiggling.

"Maybe that one needs to be cold, too." She grabbed the fire tongs and lifted the egg out of the fire. _CRACK_. The egg broke and the dragon fell to the floor. Then there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Mary got up and walked to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see the villagers.

"Has anyone here found some large eggs in the forest?" asked one of the villagers.

"Why do you ask?" replied Mary.

"A dragon was killed yesterday. A dragon with a nest. We were wondering if you had maybe seen them. Maybe while hunting–"

Mary turned around and shouted into the house, interrupting the villager.

"Richard have we seen any dragon eggs? The villagers killed a dragon and want to know where the eggs are?" Mary asked in a falsely disbelieving voice.

Maggy squeaked and whispered and pleaded to her father to not the dragons be found. Richard cast his gaze slowly around the room with a questioning look. Steve nodded, Maggy nodded, the dragons gave a cute little look like a cross between a kitten and a puppy, and Mary smiled so the villagers wouldn't notice the vote going on. Then Richard stood up and went to the door.

"There are no dragon eggs here," he growled, "Now, get off my property! This land doesn't belong to the king!" He slammed the door in their faces.

Richard looked out the window and watched the villagers leave, some walking backwards, looking around without touching anything and with suspicious looks.

Mary walked away from the door and looked around the room, wondering if they had done the right thing. Then she turned to her children and said

"It's getting late, children. Time for bed."

"Awww, do we have to?" whined Maggy and Steve in unison.

"Yes, now get to bed!"

"Wait!" shouted Maggy, "Where do the dragons sleep?"

"I would say in the barn," said Richard, "But with the villagers looking for them, that may not be the best idea. They can sleep in the living room, if they don't burn it down or make any messes."

The next morning, the family woke to the sound of shouting. They all went to the kitchen, the dragons trailing after them. Outside they saw the villagers with picket signs that read,

KILL THE DRAGONS

"Oh, no! Do you think they saw them dear?"Mary fretted.

"I don't know! Maybe," answered Richard.

"We can't let them kill the dragons!" begged Maggy. Richard and Mary nodded and the whole family wondered how they were going to protect the dragons.

The picketing continued for months. The villagers took turns picketing; half during the day, half during the night.

The dragons grew during this time and were soon moved to the barn, where Maggy and Steve were allowed to stay to protect the dragons. Maggy trained the dragons to fly, hunt, and come back with food for themselves and the family.

Steve stood guard with his bow and arrow and was allowed to shoot anyone who tried to get into the barn in the shoulder.

Everyone had given the dragons a name. Mary liked the red dragon, because he helped cook the food. She named him Flames. Richard liked the blue dragon, because he kept the food cold, so that it lasted longer. He named him Frost. Steve liked the black dragon, because she was a stealthy hunter. She was named Shadow. Maggy liked the purply-yellow one because he was the youngest, and looked different from the others. She named him venom, because instead of fire or ice or smoke, he spit globs of stuff that disintegrated anything it touched, leaving a smelly hole.

One day, Richard had had enough.

"I am going to end this rioting!" He grabbed his own bow and quiver and stomped out the front door. He loosed one arrow into the crowd, but he made a big show of it, so the villagers were able to get out of its way in time. Richard notched another arrow and held it ready.

"Why do you want the dragons dead?" he asked.

"They're dragons! They'll burn down our village or eat our people!" said one villager.

"These dragons are good! They hunt for us!"

"We shall let the king decide if they are good. Bring out the dragons!" another villager demanded.

"So that you can kill them! I think not!" Richard said and pulled his arrow tighter.

"We won't kill them. Our village has had trouble with food, because of the first dragon that we killed. Now we just want to eliminate the offspring before our problem worsens! However, if these _monsters_ can follow commands, that king may make a deal with you!" the villager finished his speech and spat on the ground, with obvious disgust that the dragons might survive and be allowed to live. But he was loyal to his king, so he asked again for the dragons to be brought out and told the mob to extinguish their torches and lower their weapons.

Richard went back inside and told Mary to get the kids to bring out the dragons.

"We're not giving up are we?" she exclaimed.

"No, we're bringing them to the king. The villager are merely suffering famine, because the dragon they killed ate too much of their food." Mary understood and nodded. She walked to the back door to the barn. She soon came back with Maggy and Steve and the four dragons that were waiting at the door, because they no longer fit through it.

Richard turned and went back to the front door.

"Lead us to your king, the dragons will follow through the sky. They will harm no one," he said, then turned and told Maggy to tell the dragons what he just said.

The dragons looked to Maggy as their mother. They nodded at her, the red one, standing closest to the door, gave her a lick on the cheek, and then they all took off.

The villagers turned around and marched down the mountain and disappeared into the woods with the family right behind them. When they reappeared, the dragons were waiting on the other side. The journey continued until they reached the castle. A villager broke from the crowd and ran inside. A minute later he came out and said,

"The king shall see you." Maggy called the dragons down from the air and they all walked inside, leaving the ex-mob behind. The way was shown by terrified servants pointing towards the throne room and then fleeing in the opposite direction.

The family of humans and dragons walked into the throne room, and bowed low to the king. The dragons bent their heads in respect. The king looked angry.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME THE DRAGONS ALIVE, I ORDERED THEIR HEADS!"

_"Your highness–"_spoke a strange voice, before it was interrupted.

"NOW YOU DARE SPEAK WITHOUT PERMISSION!!"

The blue dragon, oldest of the four, lifted his head, and stepped forward.

_"It was I who spoke, your majesty." _he said. Richard lifted his head and looked at the great, blue beast that stood next to him.

"Frost?" he said in astonishment.

_"Yes, Richard, we can speak," _Frost said to Richard. Then he turned back to the king and said, _"Your highness. My brothers, sister, and I mean neither you nor your village, any harm,"_ The red dragon, Flames, stepped forward and added,

_"We would gladly hunt for you. Only one of us is needed to hunt for our family,"_ he glanced at the humans he lived with, _"The other three of us could hunt for you and your people."_

"But not Venom, he'll poison the food if you let him hunt for you." Maggy added.

The king was staring wide-eyed at the group in front of him. The black dragon came forward next and asked,

_"Would it be alright for us to have a break at some point during the week, and could we still live in the mountains with our family."_

The king blinked and went from a surprised look to a thoughtful look. Then he spoke in a kinder voice that still held authority.

"Very well. Dragons, you will hunt for my people on Saturdays and Sundays. And you shall live in the mountains with your family. However, if I need extra food for a grand feast, you shall come immediately and hunt as I command. And, will you swear that you shall protect this kingdom from any invaders?" The king looked down at them expectantly.

The dragons formed a group and whispered to themselves in growls and rumbles. Then they broke up and the purply-yellow one stepped forward.

_"We shall indeed protect your kingdom, and Saturdays and Sundays are fine. You may call us by ringing a gong once for however many of us you need."_

To this day the dragons hunt for the small kingdom on the planet Mons. And no one dares to invade it for everyone knows the dragons protect it.

The family of humans they live with was granted immortality, because the dragons had it and would not bear to live on when the humans died.

The End


End file.
